La Poste and Sodexo extend contract with French Ministry of Defense providing postal services for French armed forces overseas

February 22, 2017

Following a public tender, the French Ministry of Defense has once again selected Sodexo and La Poste to provide international postal services for French military services (SPID) for the next four years. Since 2012, both companies have partnered to provide these services, including collection, sorting and delivery of letters and parcels to overseas-based French forces. The unbeatably fast and responsive service during the initial four-year contract was a key factor in the Ministry of Defense’s decision to renew the agreement.

SPID is responsible for packing, sorting, transporting and delivering mail to and from French armed forces deployed or stationed abroad, including military bases and French Navy warships in port.

Since 2012, the partnership has tapped into the strengths of both companies; in La Poste’s case this means collection, sorting and distributing letters and parcels; in Sodexo’s case, this means setting up, operating and managing local post offices located in remote locations that cover ongoing military bases, short-term military assignments and peacekeeping missions. In 2016, SPID delivered 338 tons of mail on behalf of 5,600 military personnel in 11 countries.

Backed by four years’ experience and a continuous improvement mindset, the La Poste-Sodexo team is in the process of further enhancing its service and customer satisfaction. To better monitor end-user satisfaction, Sodexo will introduce terminals in military post offices abroad to measure what end-users think of service quality. In addition, before starting work, postmen and women will undergo a training course on the importance of their mission. La Poste will equip them with digital readers to scan letters and parcels so that senders and recipients can track deliveries.

Stéphanie Dupuy Lyon, La Poste Public Sector Director, said: “La Poste is proud to continue this important partnership with the Ministry of Defense. We strive for reliability while maintaining a continuous improvement culture when serving the French armed forces in a variety of military bases and French Navy warships. La Poste plays a core role in bringing French troops closer to their loved ones.”

Yves-André Lagadic, Sodexo Regional Director Africa, said: “Sodexo has a longstanding tradition of providing services to the armed forces. We feel honored to continue our partnership with La Poste for four more years, especially since it fits perfectly with our task to improve quality of life in remote locations and make everyday life better for our clients’ employees. We have an especially important role to play with the French forces to maintain communication between military people on foreign assignment and their loved ones. This service is valued highly, even in today’s internet age.”

To read the full version of the press release, please download the PDF.